by Dr Kevin Ross Emery

Have you ever ridden a bike?

Think of this: It's a beautiful day. You're enjoying the many gifts that Mother Nature provides. Then without realizing it, you become enamored by a particularly beautiful grove of trees on the side of the bike path.

Suddenly, wham! You and the grove just tried to become one. Do you know why? Ultimately, you will always land wherever you are headed.

Once your eyes became fixed on the grove of trees, the rest of you followed. I revisited that lesson a few years ago when I was learning to mountain bike in Colorado. There, beautiful vistas are often accompanied by thousand foot drops. Thankfully, it wasn't a painful lesson. Just in time, I remembered to look away.

My point? Our global economy has shifted. We've all watched Wall Street rise and fall as if it's on a roller coaster. Headlines often remind us of troubled mortgages, urgent bailouts, and worldwide financial emergencies. During this time, where have your eyes been focused? To put it another way: Consciously or unconsciously, where is your bike headed?

It's foolish to be the proverbial ostrich with your head in the sand. However, there is a difference between noticing and focusing. Decide now that you are not going to focus on the "end of the world as we know it." So, what do you focus on?

Focus on what you're grateful for. Take an inventory of the good things in your life, as well as the good things in yourself. Where are you already prosperous? Do you have good health? Good relationships? Good family and friends? Look at the things you have to celebrate.

First, focus on the best. Then, plan for the worst. Take stock of the best ways to be prepared if something does happen. Don't do this from a place of negativity or fear. Just have a sound, well thought-out plan. With that on hand, you can avoid panic or hasty measures that could make things worse.

If there has already been a negative impact to you and your family's lifestyle, assess what you still have instead of what you have lost.

See where new opportunities present themselves. Is there something you have always wanted to do? Could you get support to be retrained for something new? Looking at it as an exciting adventure will make it one. If you look at it as the worst thing ever, that will also make it so, at least for the moment.

First, last, and foremost, talk with God, Goddess, Creator, the Universe or the Angels. Then, once you have stopped talking, shut up and listen. Allow yourself to be guided to the place where your new life awaits you.

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